Cushion and method of use

ABSTRACT

A cushion for inserting in the legwell between individual seats in rows of seats, for example in a vehicle, is disclosed. The top of the cushion can act as a surface for a user to lie down. The cushion can be inflatable and can be deflated for easy transport. The cushion can have multiple reservoirs so the internal pressure can be separately adjusted for the base and for the mattress of the cushion, similar to a box spring and a mattress in a common bed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional App. No.61/836,851, filed 19 Jun. 2013, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety,

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

A cushion for use between seats on a vehicle and a method of using thesame is disclosed. For example, the cushion can be positioned in thelegwell between a first seat and a second seat in the row immediately infront of the first seat on an airplane and be laid upon by a passenger.

2. Description of Related Art

Airplane, train and car travel over long distances can be physicallyuncomfortable, especially for younger passengers accustomed to movingaround more than allowed on cars and in planes. Sleeping helps pass thetravel time for such passengers, but often the seats do not sufficientlyrecline to make sleep comfortable, the seats are too uncomfortable(e.g., hard or rough), dirty, the armrest between adjacent seats can notbe raised to allow the passenger to lie down across the seats, or theadjacent seat is occupied by another passenger preventing thesleep-desiring passenger from lying across the two seats.

There exist cushions to fill the space in the legwell between the frontof the passenger's seat and the back of the next seat forward. However,some of these cushions are rigid, providing an uncomfortable experience.Some also extend to cover the seat, making the entire assemblyunnecessarily large, making transport of the cushions even moredifficult considering the awkward contortions needed to transit anairport and board and exit a crowded plane, as well as getting into andout of the legwell space in a car or train. The existing inflatablecushions have a single bladder in the legwell area, reducing the abilityto adjust the pressure at different locations in the cushion in thelegwell, similarly to a bed with a stiffer bottom box spring and asofter top mattress.

Accordingly, a cushion for filling the space in the legwell betweenseats in adjacent rows is desired that is soft, does not cover the seat,and can be adjusted to different levels of softness and rigidity atdifferent heights is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An inflatable cushion is disclosed. The cushion can have a flexible wallthat can define a first reservoir (e.g., a mattress reservoir) and asecond reservoir (e.g., a base reservoir), a first closable valve, and asecond closable valve. The flexible wall can have an external wall and aseptum separating the first reservoir and the second reservoir.

The first closable valve can be in fluid communication with the firstreservoir and the outside environment. The second reservoir can be influid isolation from the first reservoir. The second closable valve canbe in fluid communication with the first reservoir and the outsideenvironment.

When the first reservoir and the second reservoir are in inflatedconfigurations the external surface of the wall adjacent to the firstreservoir and opposite to the second reservoir can be flat. The externalsurface of the wall adjacent to the second reservoir and opposite to thefirst reservoir can be flat and parallel to the external surface of thewall adjacent to the first reservoir and opposite to the secondreservoir. For example, the top of the mattress reservoir's top wall canbe flat and parallel to the bottom of the base reservoir's bottom wall.

When the first reservoir and the second reservoir are in inflatedconfigurations, the first reservoir can have a first reservoir centralaxis and the second reservoir can have a second reservoir central axis.The first reservoir central axis can be collinear with the secondreservoir central axis when the reservoirs are in inflatedconfigurations.

The first reservoir can be above the second reservoir when positionedfor use. The second reservoir can be narrower and/or shorter than thefirst reservoir,

Either or both reservoirs can have cells in fluid communication witheach other and the respective reservoir. The cells can be surrounded byinternal tensile cell walls attached to the external wall and theseptum. The cell walls can provide tension to the external wall when therespective reservoir is inflated to maintain a desired shape of therespective sub-cushion (e.g., a fiat top or bottom). When the respectivereservoirs are in inflated configurations, the cell walls can be intension between the septum and the respective external wall.

The cushion can have a heater and/or a cooler.

The cushion can have a third reservoir (e.g., a pillow reservoir)extending from the first reservoir in a direction away from the secondreservoir. The third reservoir can be in fluid isolation from or fluidcommunication with the first and/or second reservoirs.

A method of using a cushion in the legwell between a first seat and asecond seat in a vehicle is disclosed. The cushion can have aninflatable mattress reservoir and an inflatable base reservoir. Themethod can include inflating the base reservoir to a first pressure,positioning the cushion between the first seat and the second seat afterthe base reservoir is inflated, and inflating the mattress reservoir toa second pressure. After inflating the mattress reservoir, the cushionma not extend onto the first seat.

The method can include applying pressure with the mattress reservoir ina first direction (e.g., rearward) to a seat pad of the first seat andin a second direction (e.g., forward) to a seat back of the second seat.The mattress reservoir can be held in tension between the seat pad ofthe first seat and the seat back or backrest of the second seat. Thefirst direction can be the opposite of the second direction.

The cushion can be positioned before the mattress reservoir is inflated.The cushion can be positioned after the mattress reservoir is inflated.

The first seat can be directly behind the second seat,

The first pressure can be greater than, equal to or less than the secondpressure.

Also disclosed is a method for using a cushion system for a vehiclepassenger. The method can include positioning a first legwell cushion ina first legwell of a first seat and second legwell cushion in a secondlegwell of a second seat. The first legwell can be adjacent to thesecond legwell. The method can also include laying a first passengeracross the first cushion and the second cushion.

The method can also include rotating armrests attached to the firstand/or second. seat out of the way, and laying a second passenger acrossthe first and second seats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGS. 1 a to and 1 b illustrate variations of the cushion.

FIG. 2 is a variation of sectional view A-A of the cushion of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 3 illustrates a variation of a method for positioning the cushionbetween seats in adjacent rows.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate variations of methods for using the cushion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b illustrate a cushion or pillow that can be used incombination with a chair, sofa or seat The cushion can have a cushionwall that can be impermeable to air or other gasses or fluids, orcombinations thereof. The cushion wall can be made from a flexiblematerial, such as a fiber-reinforced plastic such as PVC vinyl polymer.The material can be bare and/or coated in all or part of the outside ofthe cushion with a low-friction material such as felt, velvet, silk,satin, cotton, or combinations thereof.

The cushion can have one or more sub-cushions, for example a mattresssub-cushion and a base sub-cushion. The sub-cushions can befluid-fillable and inflatable reservoirs or bladders. For example, thesub-cushions can be filled with air, carbon dioxide, water, salinesolution, nitrogen, gel, or combinations thereof One or both of thesub-cushions can be filled with one or more foams without or incombination with a fluid. The sub-cushions can be in fluid communicationwith each other or can be not in fluid communication with each other,for example having separate and distinct reservoirs. The mattresssub-cushions can be at the top end of the cushion.

The sub-cushions can each have generally square or rectangularfootprints with curved or rounded corners. When the sub-cushions are inan inflated configuration, the top surface of the mattress sub-cushioncan be substantially flat, and the bottom surface of the basesub-cushion can be flat and parallel to the top of the mattresssub-cushion

When in an inflated configuration and unbiased, the mattress sub-cushioncan have a mattress width, mattress length, and mattress height. Themattress width at the wisest portion of the mattress sub-cushion can be,for example, from about 30 cm to about 60 cm, more narrowly from about45 cm to about 50 cm, for example about 47 cm. The mattress length atthe longest portion of the mattress sub-cushion can be from about 20 cmto about 50 cm, more narrowly from about 35 cm to about 40 cm, forexample about 38 cm. The mattress length can be equal to the mattresswidth. The mattress height can be from about 5 cm to about 30 cm, morenarrowly from about 10 cm to about 2.0 cm, for example about 15 cm.

When in an inflated configuration and unbiased, the base sub-cushion canhave a base width, base length, and base height. The base width at thewidest portion of the base sub-cushion can be, for example, from about10 cm to about 60 cm, more narrowly from about 25 cm to about 30 cm, forexample about 28 cm. The base length at the longest portion of the basesub-cushion can be from about 10 cm to about 60 cm, more narrowly fromabout 25 cm to about 30 cm, for example about 28 cm. The base length canbe equal to the base width. The base height can be from about 10 cm toabout 50 cm, more narrowly from about 25 cm to about 30 cm, for exampleabout 27 cm.

The base length and/or base width can be equal to, larger than orsmaller than the mattress length and/or mattress width, respectively.

The mattress sub-cushion (as shown) and/or base sub-cushion can have oneor more tension cells. The tension cells can hold the top and/or bottomexternal wall in a substantially flat configuration when the respectivesub-cushion is inflated. The walls of the cells can be attached to theexternal walls of the respective sub-cushions at cell seams.

The base sub-cushion can have a foot at the bottom terminal end of thebase sub-cushion opposite the mattress sub-cushion. The base can narrowin width and/or length adjacent to the foot. The remainder of the basesub-cushion can adjoin to the foot at a foot juncture ridge is narrowerin length and width than the remainder of the base sub- cushion. Thefoot can expand in width and/or length extending downward from the footjuncture ridge.

The mattress sub-cushion can have a mattress valve and the basesub-cushion can have a base valve. The valves can be operable andclosable and can be pulled away from and pushed into a recessed positionin the respective sub-cushions, lying flat and flush against thesub-cushion external wall. When opened, the respective reservoirs can bein fluid communication with the outside environment through therespective valve. For example, a user can open the valve and pressurizeor depressurize the respective reservoir (e.g., with a pump or byblowing through the valve) and then close the valve.

The external wall on the top of the mattress sub-cushion and/or on thebottom of the base reservoir can have a foam, and/or liquid, and/or gelpadding.

FIG. 1 b illustrates that the base sib-cushion can have a base mid-seam.The mid-seam can circumscribe the base sub-cushion. The mid-seam canextend outward from the remainder of the base sub-cushion and can have ahigher coefficient of friction than the surrounding base sub-cushion.For example, the mid-seam can frictionally secure cargo stowed in theunderseat storage volumes in front of the cushion, and/or frictionallysecure the cushion to the seat pad or frame of the user's active seat.

One or both of the sub-cushions can have temperature control elementssuch as heaters and/or coolers. For example, the top wall of themattress sub-cushion can have one or more resistive heating coils and/orthermoelectric Peltier cooling strips (that can be used as heatersand/or coolers) embedded in the wall. The heating coils and/or Peltiercoolers can be powered by replaceable and/or rechargeable batteries in ahard case on the side of the cushion and/or by a detachable or fixedelectrical cord extending from the wall of the cushion. The heatersand/or coolers can have a control for power, both to turn the power onand off and/or to adjust the amount of heat produced by the heaters andcooling produced by the coolers. The controls can include a thermostatto turn the heaters and/or coolers on and off or dynamically adjust thequantity of heat output or cooling output to maintain a constanttemperature of the top surface of the cushion as defined by atemperature control set by the user. The top surface of the cushion canhave a thermometer. The thermometer can sense the temperature of the topsurface of the cushion and can communicate the temperature of the topsurface of the cushion to the thermostat.

FIG. 2 illustrates that the cushion wall can have an external wall, aseptum, and internal cell walls defining, for example, a first cell anda second cell.

When the cushion is in an inflated configuration, the cell walls can bein tension between the top external wall of the mattress sub-cushion andthe septum. The cells can be in fluid communication with the remainderof the mattress reservoir. For example, the cell walls can have holes orcan be otherwise fluid permeable. The cell walls can be fluidimpermeable and the cells can be inflated to individual openable andcloseable cell valves (not shown) through the external wall.

The external wall and the septum can define a mattress reservoir. Themattress reservoir can be filled and pressurized or emptied anddepressurized with a fluid through the mattress valve.

The external wall and the septum can define a base reservoir on theopposite side of the septum from the mattress reservoir. The basereservoir can be filled and pressurized or emptied and depressurizedwith a fluid through the base valve

The septum can separate the base reservoir from the mattress reservoir.The base reservoir can be separate, distinct and not in fluidcommunication with the mattress reservoir. The septum can be fluidimpermeable. The mattress reservoir can be filled with fluid to amattress reservoir pressure. The base reservoir can be filled with fluidto a base reservoir pressure. The mattress reservoir pressure can be thesame as, less than or more than the base reservoir pressure.

The mattress reservoir can be in fluid communication with the basereservoir. For example, the septum can instead be fluid permeable, forexample having holes.

When in an inflated configuration, the mattress reservoir can have avertical central axis and the base reservoir can have a vertical centralaxis. The vertical central axis of the mattress reservoir can becollinear with the vertical central axis of the base reservoir.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the cushion can be positioned in the legwellbetween an active seat (i.e., the rear seat) and a direct adjacent,forward-adjacent seat (i.e., the front seat or bulkhead) to the activeseat. The forward-adjacent seat can be in a row of seats in front of arow of seats in which the active seat resides. A passenger using thecushion can be assigned to or seated in the active seat before thecushion is inflated and positioned between the adjacent seats.

The seats can have seat pads that can be horizontal or at a small angleto the horizontal, backrests and/or seatbacks that can be vertical or ata small angle to the vertical, armrests, or combinations thereof Thearmrests can separate the seating between directly adjacent side-by-sideseats. The armrest can be rotatable out of the way of the seating (i.e.,rotated to a position where the length of the armrest will be locatedbetween adjacent side-by-side seats' backrests).

The space directly under the seats and within the underside supportframe of the seat can be the footwell or standard undersea storagevolume. The standard underseat storage volume can be accessible to theuser seated in the seat behind the respective standard underseat storagevolume. When the cushion is positioned and inflated as shown in FIG. 3,the front of the cushion can segregate additional volume, an extendedunderseat storage, behind the standard underseat storage volume.

The seat pad can have a seat pad maximum height plane extending from thehighest point on the seat pad. The seat pad maximum height plane canextend at a seat pad maximum height from the floor. When inflated, thecushion can have a cushion height. The cushion height can be less thanor equal to the seat pad maximum height.

The base reservoir, e.g., and thus the base sub-cushion, can be inflatedbefore, concurrent with, or after positioning the cushion on the floorbetween the active seat and the forward-adjacent seat. The mattressreservoir, e.g., and this the mattress sub-cushion, can be inflatedbefore, concurrent with, or after positioning the cushion on the floorbetween the active seat and the forward-adjacent seat, and before,concurrent with, or after inflating the base reservoir.

When the mattress sub-cushion is inflated and positioned between theactive seat and the forward-adjacent seat, the mattress sub-cushion canbe spaced from the active seat and/or the forward adjacent seat, or candeform and be biased around the surface of the backrest of theforward-adjacent seat and/or around the front of the seat pad of theactive seat. The mattress sub-cushion can be squeezed between and applyforward pressure to the rear of the backrest of the forward-adjacentseat and rearward pressure to the front of the seat pad of the activeseat, for example securing the mattress sub-cushion between the rear ofthe forward-adjacent seat's backrest and the front of the active seat'sseat pad.

The highest point or highest line at which the mattress sub-cushioncontacts the seat pad can be the seat contact high point (which can alsobe the seat contact high line). The seat contact high point can be lowerthan the highest cushion height (as shown) or can be coplanar with thehighest cushion height (e.g., if there is no dip or divot at thelocation where the top of the cushion surface contacts the seat pad,forming a smooth transition from the seat pad to the top of thecushion).

FIG. 4 illustrates that the cushion can be positioned and inflated inthe legwell between the front of the seat pad and behind the bulkhead(or a forward-adjacent seat). The user, such as a vehicle passengerassigned to the active seat, can lie along a longitudinal axis of theseat and/or vehicle on the seat pad and the top of the cushion.

FIG. 5 illustrates that a first cushion can be positioned and inflatedin the legwell between the front of a first seat pad of a first seat andthe bulkhead (or a forward-adjacent seat). A second cushion can bepositioned and inflated in the legwell between the front of a secondseat pad of a second seat and the bulkhead (or a forward-adjacent seat).The first seat and the second seat can be directly adjacentside-by-side. The user can lie along a lateral or transverse axis of theseats along the first and second cushions.

The pressure in the mattress reservoir can be increased and decreased toa satisfactory firmness for the user. The pressure in the mattressreservoir can also be increased or decreased to fit the mattresssub-cushion between the active seat and forward-adjacent seat (orbulkhead), for example with sufficient pressure to friction fit themattress sub-cushion between the active seat and the forward adjacentseat.

The armrest(s) can be rotated out of the way of the seat pads, forexample positioning the length of the armrest between the first seat'sbackrest and the second seat's backrest. A first user can lie along thetransverse axis of the cushions (as shown in FIG. 5), and a second usercan concurrently lie along the transverse axis of the first seat pad andthe second seat pad.

A pillow sub-cushion (not shown) can be attached to or integral with andextend upward from the top of the mattress sub-cushion on one side ofthe central axis. The pillow sub-cushion can have a pillow reservoir influid communication with a pillow valve, similar to the valves describedabove. The pillow reservoir can be inflated and deflated separately fromthe mattress and base sub-cushions to the same or a different pressureas the mattress reservoir. The pillow reservoir can be in fluidcommunication with or isolation from the mattress reservoir.

It is apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications can be made to this disclosure, and equivalents employed,without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, Elementsshown with any embodiment are exemplary for the specific embodiment andcan be used in combination with or otherwise on other embodiments withinthis disclosure.

1. An inflatable cushion comprising: a flexible wall defining a firstreservoir and a second reservoir, wherein the flexible wall comprises anexternal wall and a septum separating the first reservoir and the secondreservoir; a first closable valve in fluid communication with the firstreservoir and the outside environment; a second reservoir, wherein thesecond reservoir is in fluid isolation from the first reservoir; asecond closable valve in fluid communication with the first reservoirand the outside environment; wherein when the first reservoir and thesecond reservoir are in inflated configurations the external surface ofthe wall adjacent to the first reservoir and opposite to the secondreservoir is flat, and the external surface of the wall adjacent to thesecond reservoir and opposite to the first reservoir is flat andparallel to the external surface of the wall adjacent to the firstreservoir and opposite to the second reservoir; and wherein When thefirst reservoir and the second reservoir are in inflated configurations,the first reservoir has a first reservoir central axis and the secondreservoir has a second reservoir central axis, and wherein the firstreservoir central axis is collinear with the second reservoir centralaxis.
 2. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the first reservoir is abovethe second reservoir, and wherein the second reservoir is narrower thanthe first reservoir.
 3. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the firstreservoir is above the second reservoir, and wherein the secondreservoir is shorter in length than the first reservoir.
 4. The cushionof claim 1, wherein the first reservoir further comprises two cells, andwherein the two cells are in fluid communication with each other.
 5. Thecushion of claim 1, wherein the flexible wall further comprises aninternal tensile wall, and wherein the tensile wall is attached to theexternal wall and the septum.
 6. The cushion of claim 5, wherein whenthe first reservoir is in an inflated configuration, the cell wall is intension between the septum and the external wall.
 7. The cushion ofclaim 1, further comprising a heater.
 8. The cushion of claim 1, furthercomprising a cooler.
 9. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising athird reservoir extending from the first reservoir and in fluidisolation from the first and second reservoirs.
 10. A method of using acushion in the legwell between a first seat and a second seat in avehicle, wherein the cushion comprises an inflatable mattress reservoirand an inflatable base reservoir, the method comprising: inflating thebase reservoir to a first pressure; positioning the cushion between thefirst seat and the second seat after the base reservoir is inflated; andinflating the mattress reservoir to a second pressure; wherein afterinflating the mattress reservoir, the cushion does not extend onto thefirst seat.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising applyingpressure with the mattress reservoir in a first direction to a seat padof the first seat and in a second direction to a seat back of the secondseat, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.12. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning of the cushionoccurs before the mattress reservoir is inflated.
 13. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the positioning of the cushion occurs after themattress reservoir is inflated.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein thefirst seat is directly behind the second seat.
 15. The method of claim10, wherein the first pressure is greater than the second pressure. 16.The method of claim 10, wherein the first pressure is less than thesecond pressure.
 17. A method of using a cushion in the legwell betweena first seat and a second seat in a vehicle, wherein the cushioncomprises an inflatable mattress reservoir and an inflatable basereservoir, the method comprising: inflating the base reservoir to afirst pressure; positioning the cushion between the first seat and thesecond seat after the base reservoir is inflated; inflating the mattressreservoir to a second pressure; and applying pressure with the mattressreservoir in a first direction to a seat pad of the first seat and in asecond direction to a seat back of the second seat, wherein the firstdirection is opposite to the second direction.
 18. The method of claim17, wherein the first pressure is greater than the second pressure. 19.The method of claim 17, wherein the first pressure is less than thesecond pressure.
 20. A method for using a cushion system for a passengerin a vehicle comprising: positioning a first legwell cushion in a firstlegwell of a first seat and second legwell cushion in a second legwellof a second seat, wherein the first legwell is adjacent to the secondlegwell; and laying a first passenger across the first cushion and thesecond cushion.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising rotatingan armrest attached to the first and/or second seat, and laying a secondpassenger across the first and second seats.
 22. An inflatable cushioncomprising: a first reservoir and a second reservoir, wherein the firstreservoir is in fluid isolation from the second reservoir; a firstreservoir wall around the first reservoir, wherein the first reservoirwall defines a first sub-cushion; a second reservoir wall around thesecond reservoir, wherein the second reservoir wall defines a firstsub-cushion, wherein the first sub-cushion has a larger first dimensionthan the second sub-cushion, and wherein the first reservoir has a firstreservoir central axis and the second reservoir has a second reservoircentral axis, and wherein the first reservoir central axis is collinearwith the second reservoir central axis.
 23. The cushion of claim 22,wherein the first dimension is width.
 24. The cushion of claim 22,wherein the first dimension is length.
 25. A method of using aninflatable cushion having a first bladder and a second bladdercomprising: positioning the cushion in the legwell between the front ofa first seat and the rear of a second seat; inflating the first bladderto a first pressure; and inflating the second bladder to a secondpressure, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure.26. A method of claim 25, wherein the first reservoir is below thesecond reservoir.